Ben Uri Research Unit

for the study and digital recording of the Jewish, Refugee and wide Immigrant contribution to British visual culture since 1900.


Heather Agyepong photographer

Heather Agyepong was born in London to Ghanaian parents from the Ashanti tribe in Ghana. She earned a National Diploma in Performing Arts from City of Westminster College, followed by a BSc in Applied Psychology from the University of Kent. Subsequently, she graduated with an MA in Photography & Urban Cultures from Goldsmiths College, University of London before embarking on a career as a photographer and a performer.

Born: 1990 London


Biography

Multidisciplinary visual artist, photographer, and performer, Heather Agyepong was born in London to Ghanaian parents from the Ashanti tribe in Ghana. She earned a National Diploma in Performing Arts from the City of Westminster College, followed by a BSc in Applied Psychology from the University of Kent. Subsequently, she graduated with an MA in Photography & Urban Cultures from Goldsmiths College, University of London. She has been nominated for various awards, including the Firecracker Photographic Grant in 2020.

Agyepong's photographic art is deeply entrenched in themes of mental health, diaspora, invisibility, and the archive. Her work illuminates often-neglected narratives, with a particular focus on the experiences of Black women. Since 2009, she has utilised lens-based and performance media, creating a cathartic connection between herself and her audience. By harnessing the power of 're-imagination,' she challenges and reinterprets dominant historical narratives. Agyepong's artistic practice has connected to the shared pain, trauma, and history embedded collectively within humanity. To this end, she incorporates Authentic Movement therapy in her explorations.

Her photographic series, Wish You Were Here, commissioned by and showcased initially at London's James Hyman Gallery in 2020 (now home to the Centre for British Photography), celebrated the early twentieth century dance craze, the Cake Walk, as exemplified by Aida Overton Walker, the renowned American vaudeville artist, often called the ‘Queen of the Cake Walk'. In her homage to Walker, Agyepong's focus on dance, rooted in the performances of pre-Civil War slaves, became the lens through which she addressed racial stereotyping. By interjecting herself into these images, she not only honoured Overton Walker's tenacity but amplified stories of empowerment vital for Black women, particularly those navigating prejudice within the creative spheres. At Tate Modern in 2017, Agyepong's exhibit, Yaa: But We Are Still Here, recognized the heroism of Yaa Asantewaa, who led the Ashanti uprising against British colonialism in 1900. This conflict arose when the British sought possession of the Ashantis' revered gold stool. In Ghana, Yaa stands as a figure of pride, tenacity, and defiance. Agyepong's representation at Tate highlighted these qualities without exploiting Black trauma. The exhibit was influenced by a Cambridge University study suggesting that the mental well-being of Black individuals of African descent diminishes without the presence of their fellow Black Africans.

Agyepong has been a prominent figure in the photographic and performance arts since 2009, with her works gaining attention both in the UK and internationally. 2023 saw her first foray into the cinematic world, as she joined the cast of Amazon Prime Video's adaptation of The Power, focusing on teenage girls who manifest superpowers. That year, she also portrayed Ama in School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play at the Lyric Hammersmith, London. This drama unfolds during 1986 within the prestigious Aburi Girls boarding school in Ghana. Agyepong currently lives and works in London, England. In the UK public domain, her work is held several collections, including Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.

Related books

  • Andi Johnson, ‘Black Women of The Cakewalk: Reclaiming the Performance Through Corporeal Orature’, İstanbul Üniversitesi Kadın Araştırmaları Dergisi, No. 26, 2023, pp. 45-63
  • Renée Mussai, Eyes That Commit. Black Women and Non-Binary Photographers. A Visual Survey, (Munich: Prestel Verlag, 2023)
  • Ameena Rojee, ‘On home and heritage: ‘Beautiful Experiments’ at London Art Fair’s Photo50’, British Journal of Photography, 13 December 2022 (https://www.1854.photography/2022/12/on-home-and-heritage-beautiful-experiments-at-london-art-fairs-photo50/)

Public collections

Related organisations

  • City of Westminster College (Student )
  • Goldsmiths, University of London (Student )
  • University of Kent (Student )

Related web links

Selected exhibitions

  • Format Festival: Control 21 (group show online) (2023)
  • PHOTO50: BEAUTIFUL EXPERIMENTS (group show), London Art Fair, London (2023)
  • Writing Her Own Script: Women Photographers from The Hyman Collection (group show), Centre for British Photography, London (2023)
  • Jerwood/Photoworks Awards 4 Touring Exhibition (exhibition with Joanne Coates), Belfast Exposed, Belfast (2022)
  • A Different Mirror: Photographs from The Hyman Collection (group show), Photo Oxford Festival, Oxford (2021)
  • Wish You Were Here (group show), Format Festival, Derby (2021)
  • Foam Talent (group show online) (2021)
  • Bristol Photo Festival: Museum Interventions (group show), Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol (2021)
  • A Picture of Health: Women Photographers from The Hyman Collection (group show), The Arnolfini, Bristol (2020-1)
  • PhotoFringe 2020 (group show), Worthing Beach Seafront, Worthing (2020-1)
  • Starting Something New: Recent Contemporary Art Acquisitions and Gifts (group show), Mead Art Museum, Massachusetts (2019–21)
  Heather Agyepong
   
Ben Uri archive

Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Heather Agyepong]

Ben Uri library

Publications related to [Heather Agyepong] in the Ben Uri Library